


the sky is everywhere, so meet me under there

by londoneyedgirl



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Past Kim Minseok | Xiumin/Lu Han, Superpowers AU, Xiukai - Freeform, implied minor character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 14:38:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10946586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/londoneyedgirl/pseuds/londoneyedgirl
Summary: he was born in the winter, but he has the warmest heart ever seen. minseok, ice himself, would let himself melt under jongin's touch if it was capable of that.jongin also loves the winter. maybe that's why he loves minseok, too.





	the sky is everywhere, so meet me under there

**Author's Note:**

> can you believe i've got about ten exo fics in the works, and yet, this fic idea that i got, like, nine days ago in the middle of class got to be finished? it's amazing how my mind works. wow
> 
> i'm a sucker for superpowers aus, i love jongin and i love xiukai. and, surprisingly, i enjoyed writing every piece of this! so i hope you enjoy it as well.
> 
> title from selena gomez's "stars dance".

he was born in the winter, but he has the warmest heart ever seen. minseok, ice himself, would let himself melt under jongin's touch if it was capable of that.

jongin also loves the winter. maybe that's why he loves minseok, too.

-

the moment minseok’s tv starts to lose signal, there is a noise. it's barely noticeable, but he hears it anyway. it comes from his room, he instantly gathers, and he is on his feet in the blink of an eye.

he can't say he wasn't waiting for jongin. he was always expecting jongin to find him, anyway. he's ready.

jongin is just standing there. his eyes give away more than the rest of his face does, even if his plump lips are simply softly pressed together, and his jaw is barely flexed. his eyes are a sea of emotions, and minseok can't fight the urge to drown in jongin's relief and joy at finding him.

“took you long enough.” is all minseok says before they're moving towards each other, crashing together with such impact minseok swears they could cause a supernova.

minseok lets his arms slip under jongin's coat, and for all that minseok’s power is ice, there's nothing like burying himself in jongin’s warmth. “you're not the easiest man to find, you know?” jongin presses his lips to the top of minseok’s head, where his hair is a wild, but stylishly contained, mess, and all minseok can feel, breathe, _want_ is jongin.

“i know.”

-

when minseok fell for luhan, he fell hard. it wasn't hard to do so. luhan was beautiful, and witty, and kind. he had the sort of humor that aligned perfectly with minseok’s in such a way that he constantly wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

luhan, apparently, had been in love with minseok for a few decades already. when minseok confessed to luhan, the latter only gave him a smile - that one, the one he had taken to offering minseok and minseok only lately, like an inside joke, like there was something only them knew - and took him into his arms. “so, you finally decided to catch up, huh?”

-

he takes minseok to england, first. it's a little town he saw, once, in a pamphlet given to him in the streets of london. he doesn't know where it is, exactly, but it's peaceful, and it's the break of dawn, and there's no one else but them out in the streets.

the weather is chilly, and minseok isn't bothered by it, not with his gift, not with his long-sleeved, striped shirt. but he snuggles against jongin, sneaks under his arm until it rests heavy over minseok’s shoulder. 

“this is nice.” minseok says, and his eyes are a bit droopy. he hadn't slept properly, not really, not since he parted from the others. being with jongin brings a sense of comfort and familiarity and his body recognizes it enough to relax completely near jongin.

jongin hums in agreement. “it is.” and he guides them to a small inn before minseok falls asleep on his feet. in less than five minutes, minseok’s sound asleep in bed, jongin cuddling him from behind, kept in place by minseok’s tight grip on the hand that's on his waist.

there is no particular reason as to why jongin had brought minseok here. minseok had said, “take me somewhere.” and there they were. it didn't take much for jongin to do what minseok wanted. it usually doesn't.

he presses a kiss to minseok’s nape. unconsciously, minseok snuggles back, back pressed even more to jongin's chest. it's a bit surreal. jongin keeps wondering when he's gonna wake up from this dream. but he supposes minseok has gotten tired of hiding and running. “i’ll show you around later. we’ll figure it out.” he whispers into the night, and then lets himself fall asleep as well.

-

when they lose luhan, a part of minseok dies. to be fair, a part of all of them does. it was a feeling none of them wanted to feel again, not since they had learned of it with yifan. it's excruciatingly painful.

but for minseok, it's worse. because he didn't lose only the one he was in love with; he lost his best friend, the person with whom he spent most of his days with, the person he worried the most about. the emptiness, it’s the worst thing. it’s like there’s nothing inside him, like he, himself, is nothing. he feels nothing. because luhan is gone.

the first few weeks, he can barely get out of bed. they don't really have to eat constantly, not like humans, but his state of inanition takes a significant toll on his body and he can feel himself get weaker by the second. he can barely feel his gift, and if he needs to use it, he’s sure he won't be able to.

it's jongin that comes. minseok has been aware of the fact that the others had agreed to give him time, but he supposes they’ve gotten worried.

jongin comes, and it's him who makes him eat, when minseok can only bring himself to open his mouth; it's jongin who changes his sheets, and opens his curtains and windows, and makes him his favorite foods on earth, and doesn't ask questions or tell him he's sorry. it’s jongin who lets minseok rest his head on his lap and who runs his fingers through minseok’s hair when he cries. it's jongin who doesn't mention minseok’s tears because he knows minseok hates to be vulnerable in front of other people, even if they're the people he cares the most.

minseok seems to get better, after a while. it's been almost a year since _it_ happened, but time’s such a weird concept, especially when you don't age. regardless, he's looking healthier, and he doesn't spend the whole day in bed anymore, and maybe he still looks sad all the time, but it's still progress.

and then, one day, minseok simply. leaves.

they know he isn't dead. they'd feel it if he were. it doesn't make them worry less.

jongin is the only one who looks noticeably less preoccupied. for someone who had been actively looking after minseok for the past months, he looks way too unconcerned. the others suspect that he knows where minseok is, but he never really goes after minseok. they decide to let him be.

-

the next place jongin takes minseok is new york, in the united states. they appear in the very middle of times square, busy enough not to notice them, taken over by people running too fast, too late, too tired. the night sky is nice to look at, even if there's too much light and they can't see the stars. minseok holds onto jongin’s hand and just lets himself feel.

“wanna eat something?” jongin leans in, brushes his lips against minseok’s ear so he can be heard. “i haven't eaten in a while, and i could really use a pizza or two.” and there's that toothy grin of jongin's the one that tells that he's as comfortable with minseok as minseok is with him, the one that's hoping that minseok will relate to and agree with him.

minseok doesn't need much convincing, especially when his own stomach grumbles in hunger. he nods, intertwined fingers flexing and tightening. “sounds good.”

they find a small, but fairly expensive, pizza place. their clothing is fitting - not quite too overdressed, but not even close to underdressed, either - so they don't worry. they catch people's attention when they walk in, and minseok can feel jongin tense beside him, worried that it's for the wrong reasons. he only relaxes once he ensures it's only their looks that has the attention, and not something regarding their powers.

they eat quietly for the most part, but that isn't expected. jongin eats fast, at least in the beginning, when his hunger is at the highest level. and minseok, he likes getting lost in thoughts, especially when there are too many in his head, anyway. their eyes meet every few moments, though, and their legs are pressed together, touch kept there by their tangled ankles.

it's the best he's felt in quite a while.

-

dating luhan proves to be most of the same as it had been when the two were just close friends, to pranking the beagles to making fun of the others with the fact that they're older. they spend most of their time together, sometimes actively doing something, like watching tv or playing video games, or going to tourist spots in town; and sometimes just breathing together, minseok laying in bed, reading a book, and luhan watching the tv dramas he so loved.

“i wanna read a new book.” minseok says, closing the one he's just finished and settling it on the bedside table.

luhan doesn't even blink. “huh.”

minseok tilts his head, amused. something very dramatic must be happening on screen, right now. “get me one.”

“what?” only then does luhan detaches his glued eyes from the screen, looking at minseok adorably confused.

minseok thinks it's the cutest thing. “i said you should get me another book for me to read it. that new one that kyungsoo gave me.” 

luhan nods, softly, and then minseok a book in his shelf - the one he asked for - slipping out from the others, and floating until it settles carefully by minseok's side on the bed.

“while you're at it, could you bring yourself over here, too?” he says, throwing luhan a wink and feeling triumphant when luhan chuckles. “you know, i can barely contain myself when you're just over there, looking handsome.”

“flattery will get you anywhere.” luhan snorts, but pushes himself off the couch, foregoing the tv drama. it probably has something to do with the fact that it just went to commercials, but those are small details.

once luhan’s within reach, minseok’s pulling him onto the bed until luhan’s laying half on it, half on minseok’s chest. “there you go with your manhandling.” luhan mutters against minseok’s collarbone, but minseok can feel the smile on luhan’s face.

“you really do look very adorable when you're caught up with something, though.” minseok can help but reply, holding luhan tighter against him, his heart nearly bursting with how content he feels.

-

the day before minseok leaves, he says goodbye to jongin.

it's a sunny day. it feels nice, how the sun feels warm, but not too much, when it touches their skin. jongin had convinced minseok to go to the beach with him, and they lay on the sand, only a thin blanket under them to keep them from getting sand all over. the sound of the waves, coming and going, is a constant, and minseok has never been much of a fan of the beach before, but when he saw jongin laugh, wide and bright and beautiful, as he ran on the beach a couple of minutes earlier, going to the edge of the water and running from it when it came, minseok thought that he could easily come here often, even live here, if it got jongin to laugh like that.

the thing is, minseok knows how jongin feels. he knows that jongin looks at him when he thinks minseok’s doesn't notice; he knows that getting minseok to smile brings jongin a joy that's too big for it to be simply friendly. he knows jongin’s in love with him.

that isn't an issue.

the issue is that he can feel himself responding to those feelings. and that wouldn't be wrong, not really, because jongin is kind, and he's beautiful, and he's clever and funny and caring. minseok's lucky to have him in his life.

but it's too soon. the fact that he can feel his feelings for jongin grow out of proportion, becoming more and more romantic as time passes scares him, because it's just been a year since he's lost luhan. it hurts and it makes him choke on the breath he finds himself holding in without noticing, because he's feeling this way even though his heart’s still mending, even though he’ll never really recover completely from losing luhan. it feels like he hasn't mourned him, not enough, not properly.

no matter how clouded his judgement may be by pain and loss, minseok knows he doesn't love jongin just as a friend, now.

it just- it isn't the time.

it also frightens him that his vulnerability could be getting the best of him, making him fall for jongin just because he's _there_. it wouldn't be fair, to jongin or to himself, if that is the case.

he turns his head to the other side, meeting jongin’s face. his eyes are closed, lips mildly parted, and the air slips in and out of him with the ease it's supposed to. the very fact that jongin's alive brings minseok peace.

“hey.” minseok says, voice quiet, and he tries to hide the sorrow and resignation in his voice. jongin opens his eyes, face unchanged, and minseok doesn't know if he's succeeded. jongin can be very hard to read when he wants.

“hi.” the word slips out softly out of his mouth, and minseok feels the corner of his mouth tug upwards.

pillowing his head with his arm, minseok turns onto his side, so he can look at jongin better. “thanks.”

“for what?” jongin seems confused, brows furrowing, a bit of a pout on his lips.

“for- for bringing me here. for being my friend. for understanding, and never demanding.” minseok feels so much lighter saying it, not only because the fact that he's never thanked jongin for all of that kept nagging him, but also for the sweet, delighted smile on jongin's lips.

jongin shrugs, as much as one can shrug while laying down. “you really don't have to thank me for that. that's what friends are for.” he says it naturally, and it strikes minseok then, that even though jongin's in love with him, there's no bitterness, no wish for more. there is nothing but fondness and honesty in his words.

it makes something inside him ache.

minseok doesn't have a reply that's good enough for jongin’s words, so he just settles for smiling back at him, and fights the urge to kiss the corner of his mouth.

they go back to being quiet. jongin's eyes slip closed and minseok watches jongin idly play with the hem of his shirt, head moving from one side to the other, softly, with a few minutes in between.

the sun is close to beginning its setting when they decide to leave. jongin goes to put his feet into the water one last time before leaving, and when he's back, minseok’s already folded the sheet on which they were lying.

before they can leave, minseok tilts his head, standing in front of jongin, but keeping his eyes on anything but him. “jongin, do you trust me?”

jongin looks at him, really looks at him, in that intense way that has the others either mocking him for it, or trembling under it. he watches minseok, eyelashes fanning the soft skin of his sharp cheekbones. the wind blows and his hair moves in the same direction, and then he purses his lips for a couple of seconds.

“you know i do.”

minseok nods, like he already knew that's what jongin would say. “hypothetically speaking, if i asked to be given time, would you give it to me?”

“of course.” jongin's reply comes right away, without second thoughts, sure and secure.

“and-” minseok continues, forcing himself to look at jongin, to meet his understanding eyes. “would you come for me?”

“always.” there it is. the look in jongin's eyes, the one that bares him and makes it clear that what he feels for minseok is deeper than he lets it show.

minseok sighs, content, satisfied. he steps forward, then, once, and then twice, until he's in jongin's space. and then he wraps his arms around jongin's torso, burying his face on his neck. he feels jongin wrap his arms around him, too, hold him tight in the way he does when he needed to both give and receive a hug.

“thank you.” he mutters, feeling his body relaxing more than he thought possible in jongin's embrace. he continues before jongin asks why. “for being you.”

they pull away, and jongin's smiling that small dimpled smile of his, looking as boyish as ever, a hand scratching the back of his neck. and then they're holding hands, and, in less than a split second, they're home again.

at the moment, jongin hadn't really known it was a goodbye. it was only when he woke up in the next morning, finding minseok’s bed empty and made, as though no one had slept there, that he understood.

-

“let's go to paris.” minseok says, coming out of the bathroom, looking sleepy and small and so, so painfully young. he's still in the sweatpants and t-shirt he slept in, the folded clothes that jongin brought from his room in the middle of the night sat untouched on the edge of the bed. 

minseok walks right past it and sits on the floor of the balcony, beside jongin, and lets his head drop to the side softly. jongin's sitting with his legs close to his chest, arms resting on his knees, and his head falls back against the wall behind him peacefully.

“paris, huh?” 

minseok only hums in reply, and snuggles closer to jongin, clutching jongin's arm securely but not overly tight. the sun doesn't shine very bright in this place, due to england’s characteristic glum weather, but they don't mind. minseok wonders if people would think it's weird if it suddenly started snowing. he wonders if they would be able to tell that it's because he's happy.

jongin stays quiet for a while. then, he lowers his head and brushes his lips against the back of minseok's hand that's on his arm, before pressing. “okay.”

they're both smiling. “okay.”

-

“i know i’m not- i can’t make books come to you from the library so you won't have to get up. i can't help you pull pranks on baekhyun by flying things at him, or making things slip right out of his hand. but i love you eternal. i’ll- i’ll take you anywhere.”

“i know. that’s all i need.”

**Author's Note:**

> if you feel like being emo over all jongin ships, i'm @winterjonginnie on twitter and on tumblr!


End file.
